The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

The two of them walked through the entrance of Treyhn District together, with Evelyne keeping a steady pace beside Klein while trying very hard not to look nervous.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and noticed that Klein looked completely relaxed.

She quietly took a breath and decided to start with something simple "Did you have breakfast?"

Klein turned his head toward her and gave a nod "Yeah. Did you?"

"Yeah, yeah... I did." She nodded, then immediately realized how pointless that question had been.

A small silence followed and Evelyne’s expression became slightly stiff.

’That was terrible.’

She quickly tried to think of something else "What kind of food do you like?"

Klein thought about it for a moment before answering "To be honest... anything is fine. I don’t have specific preferences like that... I just like whatever tastes good, I guess."

She forced a small smile as they continued walking. "You’re not very helpful, are you?"

A faint smile appeared on Klein’s face "You’re the one who asked."

"I know."

She lowered her gaze slightly, fiddling with the strap of her handbag "I just wanted to make sure we had something to talk about."

"You don’t have to force yourself, Evelyne. We can just walk and talk naturally."

Evelyne looked at him for a moment before her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"...Alright."

They continued through the busy streets of Treyhn District, surrounded by elegant buildings, cafés, boutiques, and small shops selling everything from accessories to handmade desserts.

The district had a considerably calmer atmosphere than the crowded central streets, making it one of the places Evelyne had specifically chosen for their date.

After walking for a while, she suddenly slowed down and pointed toward a small boutique "There."

Klein followed her gaze and saw a sign above the entrance that advertised handmade magical accessories.

Evelyne looked at him "I... want to visit that place."

"Then let’s go."

The two entered the shop together.

Glass displays filled the room, containing bracelets, necklaces, rings, charms, and small magical ornaments.

Evelyne walked slowly between the displays, occasionally stopping to look at something that caught her attention.

Eventually, her eyes settled on a small silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon.

She picked it up carefully "It’s pretty."

Klein stepped closer and looked at it "It suits you."

Evelyne glanced at him, a little surprised by the immediate answer "You think so?"

"Yeah."

She looked back at the pendant, and a faint smile appeared on her lips "I wasn’t sure whether I should buy something like this."

"You like it?"

"A little."

Klein reached toward the display and took the pendant from her hand.

Evelyne blinked "Klein?"

He looked at the price before handing it back to her "Then buy it."

She immediately shook her head "No, it’s fine."

"Why?"

"It’s our first date. I don’t want you spending money on me."

Klein stared at her for a moment before giving a faint smile "Consider it a first-date gift."

Evelyne opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of anything to argue with.

A few minutes later, the shopkeeper handed her a small box containing the pendant.

She accepted it carefully, and her expression softened as she looked down at it "...Thank you."

Klein nodded with a gentle smile "You’re welcome."

They left the shop together, and Evelyne seemed considerably less nervous than before.

---

After spending some time walking through Treyhn District, Evelyne eventually led Klein toward the restaurant she had chosen for their date.

As they approached, Evelyne glanced at the restaurant and quietly checked the time on her mobile.

Everything was still going according to the schedule she had prepared.

Klein noticed her checking the time. "Are you making sure we’re still on schedule?"

Evelyne immediately locked her mobile and slipped it back into her handbag. "Of course not."

"You definitely were."

"I was just checking the time."

"Which is exactly what someone following a schedule would say."

Evelyne looked at him with a slightly embarrassed expression before sighing. "Fine. I planned the date carefully. Is that really such a bad thing?"

"No."

Klein smiled teasingly "It’s actually rather cute."

Her cheeks warmed at the comment, and she quickly looked toward the restaurant. "Let’s just go inside."

The moment they entered, a waiter greeted them and led them toward a table Evelyne reserved beforehand.

It was positioned near one of the large windows, giving them a clear view of the busy street outside without placing them directly in the middle of the crowd.

Klein pulled out the chair for Evelyne.

She blinked in surprise before sitting down. "Thank you."

He took the seat opposite her, and Evelyne quietly placed her handbag beside her chair.

For a moment, she looked around the restaurant, making sure everything was as she had expected.

A waiter soon came over and handed them their menus.

Evelyne accepted hers and immediately began looking through the choices.

She had already looked at the menu several times before the date, but she still pretended to consider everything carefully.

They spent the next few minutes choosing their food.

Evelyne recommended one of the restaurant’s specialties to Klein, and once the waiter left, Evelyne leaned back slightly and finally allowed herself to relax.

"So..." she said, resting her chin lightly against her hand. "Tell me something. What do you usually do when you have a free day?"

Klein thought about it "Before becoming an awakener, I used to play a lot of video games... now I just mostly cultivate."

Evelyne was amused "Video games?"

"Yeah."

"What kind?"

"Various ones. Action games, RPGs, strategy games..." He gave a small shrug. "I played quite a lot back then."

A faint smile appeared on Evelyne’s lips. "I wouldn’t have expected that from you."

"Why?"

"You always seem so serious."

Klein couldn’t help but chuckle "I wasn’t always like this."

"Really?"

"I was a normal college student once. I went out with friends, studied when I had to, played games whenever I had free time... the usual stuff."

Evelyne listened with genuine interest "I see."

He took a sip of the water before looking back at her. "What about you?"

Evelyne’s expression changed slightly "Me?"

"Yeah. What did you do before becoming an awakener?"

She gave a small chuckle and looked down at the table. "Well... I went to an all-girls school, and I didn’t go to college afterward. I mostly trained in swordsmanship."

Her fingers lightly traced the edge of her glass as she continued, "You know how a Duke house is. There wasn’t exactly much room for me to decide that I wanted to spend several years attending university."

Klein nodded slowly.

Evelyne smiled "From the time I was young, I was expected to learn etiquette, history, politics, swordsmanship, and everything else that someone from my family was supposed to know."

"My father always said that being born into a Duke house meant I had responsibilities whether I wanted them or not."

"Sounds exhausting."

"It was."

She laughed softly "I complained about it a lot when I was younger."

"I can imagine."

"I even tried convincing my father that sword training was unnecessary because I was supposed to become a noble lady."

Klein looked at her with amusement. "And how did that work?"

"Terribly."

She laughed again. "He just increased my training."

Klein couldn’t help but smile.

Evelyne’s expression became a little more nostalgic as she continued, "Most of my childhood was basically school in the morning, sword training afterward, then etiquette lessons or studying until dinner."

"There were occasional social events, of course, but those weren’t exactly fun."

"Hm? Why not?"

"Because I was usually there because I had to be."

She sighed lightly "You meet the same nobles, hear the same conversations, smile at the same people, and pretend you’re interested in whatever political discussion they’re having. Then someone inevitably asks about your marriage prospects."

Klein couldn’t help but chuckle "Sounds wonderful."

"Gosh... don’t remind me. It was awful."

The waiter soon returned with their food, placing the dishes carefully in front of them.

Evelyne’s attention immediately shifted toward the meal "Ah, finally."

Klein glanced at her and asked "You were hungry?"

"A little."

She picked up her utensils and looked at him with a playful smile "And I spent so much time researching this place. If the food isn’t good, I’m going to be very disappointed."

He laughed quietly "Then I hope it lives up to your expectations."

Evelyne picked up a bite and tasted it, and her eyes widened slightly "...It’s good."

Klein tried his own portion.

After a moment, he nodded "It is."

Evelyne smiled with visible relief "Good."

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